A total of at least 237 people were arrested and 669 were detained within the first ten days of February 2017 and 4,464 civil servants were dismissed in application of the new State of Emergency Decree No. 687 issued on 7 February 2017.
Of those 4,464 dismissed civil servants, 2,585 were teachers and public servants from the Ministry of Education; 417 were police officers from the Security General Directorate; 893 others were from the Gendarmerie General Command; 80 were from the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT); 48 were from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; 49 were from the Interior Ministry; and 16 were from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
During the whole month of February, acts of violence, arbitrary dismissal and detention took place in the country, aggravating the climate of tension and causing violence and uncertainty.
In particular:
• On 4 February, Turkish police used excessive force against members of the Confederation of Public Sector Trade Unions (KESK) who gathered in Malatya to protest against mass dismissals;
• On 10 February, at least 11 people, including professors, were detained after police used pressurised water and pepper spray to disperse a group of protesters against the new Decree No.687 at Ankara University;
• On 11 February, nine teachers - who had earlier been dismissed from their posts - were arrested.